SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING Researching Facebook marketing adoption factors among Norwegian health clubs

This master’s thesis is carried out as a part of the education at the University of Agder and is therefore approved as a part of this education.. However, this does not imply that the Un

This master’s thesis is carried out as a part of the education at the

University of Agder and is therefore approved as a part of this education However, this does not imply that the University answers

for the methods that are used or the conclusions that are drawn

!

University of Agder 2014 School of Business and Law

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

Researching Facebook marketing adoption factors among

Norwegian health clubs

This!thesis!is!dedicated!to!my!beautiful!wife!Cecilie!and!newborn!baby!Othilie.!Thank!you!for!supporting!me,!encouraging!me!and!allowing!me!to!dedicate!so!much!time!and!effort!into!my!work.!I!know!you!are!glad!it!is!all!over.!!

!

I!would!like!to!give!my!sincerest!gratitude!to!my!supervisor,!Associated!Professor!Rotem!Shneor.!Without!your!patience,!excellent!advice!and!help,!I!would!not!have!made!it.!Your!guidance!was!precise,!rich!and!exactly!what!I!needed,!when!I!needed!it!the!most.!!

!

It!is!with!pleasure!that!these!final!words!are!written,!honestly!I!was!not!sure!if!I!would!ever!get!it!done.!A!great!burden!is!now!leaving!my!shoulders,!and!it!feels!great.!I!think!my!parents!are!proud!to,!thank!you!mom!and!dad.!!

One!of!my!biggest!dreams!in!life!is!to!build!and!run!a!successful!business.!I!have!

experimented!with!small!business!projects!all!my!life!and!I!chose!to!study!business!to!prepare!for!this.!!After!being!fortunate!enough!to!attend!a!master’s!degree!level!

entrepreneurshipVprogram!at!UC!Berkley!that!included!an!internship!at!a!Silicon!Valley!startVup,!I!returned!more!eager!than!ever!to!get!started!on!my!own!business.!!

!

In!the!final!semester!of!my!master’s!degree,!I!decided!to!register!and!start!my!very!own!business.!Together!with!my!business!partner,!a!friend!that!I!met!at!university,!we!

created,!launched!and!sold!out!our!very!first!product.!!We!had!created!something!from!scratch!and!were!able!to!pay!our!bills,!without!having!a!second!job.!In!my!perspective!the!business!project!was!a!great!success.!Unfortunately,!the!business!required!all!of!my!attention!and!my!academic!education!suffered.!!

!

After!a!1,5!year!break!from!school,!I!decided!to!return!and!finish!my!master’s!degree.!I!knew!that!writing!this!thesis!would!require!my!full!attention;!therefore!I!put!the!

business!on!hold.!However,!I!chose!a!topic!that!could!directly!benefit!our!business!

endeavour.!I!decided!to!focus!on!social!media!marketing!with!Facebook,!a!strategy!that!we!had!successfully!applied!to!gain!momentum!for!our!business.!!

!

Early!I!experienced!the!theoretical!principles!I!researched!could!be!put!into!practical!use.!What!I!have!learned!from!this!process!has!already!affected!our!business!plan!and!how!we!will!approach!potential!customers.!!

This(chapter(will(provide(an(introduction(of(the(phenomenon(that(is(explored(in(the(thesis.( An(observation(about(social(media(as(a(business(strategy(is(presented(to(justify(the(choice( of(topic,(before(stating(the(research(question(and(a(quick(overview(of(the(study.(

!

!

A!staggering!73%!of!all!online!adults!are!now!using!a!social!media!site.!With!massive!growth!and!close!to!one!billion!users,!Facebook!have!created!a!new!communication!channel!that!is!to!be!reckoned!with.!!In!less!than!ten!years,!Facebook!has!become!one!of!the!biggest!individual!communication!channels!in!Norway,!with!a!70%!reach!is!it!now!as!big!as!NRK1,!and!bigger!than!TV2!and!VG.!(Callaghan,!2013;!Aaron!Smith,!2014)!

(Hauger,!2014;!Johnston,!2010)!

!

Understanding!social!media!and!its!implications!are!increasingly!important;!social!media!platforms!such!as!Facebook!have!in!relative!short!period!changed!the!way!people!communicate!online,!and!how!businesses!are!able!to!communicate.!It!has!created!a!marketing!opportunities!that!never!existed!before.!For!marketer’s!this!represents!a!new,!fast!growing,!increasingly!important!and!mostly!unexplored!marketing!channel.!Still!at!an!early!stage,!marketers!are!beginning!to!understand!how!to!use!social!media!and!include!in!their!marketing!strategy.!(Akar!&!Topçu,!2011;!David!G!Taylor,!2011)!!

!

Facebook!have!created!a!free!service!for!their!users!by!building!an!advertisementVbased!business!model.!Marketing!tools!have!been!created!that!gives!businesses!a!

communication!channel!to!promote!themselves!to!their!users.!Social!media!sites!have!opened!up!and!allowed!business!of!all!sizes,!in!any!industry!to!communicate!and!

interact!with!potential!customers!more!easily!(Grandon!&!Pearson,!2004;!Martin,!2010;!Zarrella!&!Zarrella,!2011).!

!

Martin!summarizes!the!opportunity!well:!“Never(before(has(it(been(possible(for(small(and( midXsized(companies(without(lavish(budgets(to(utilize(the(same(marketing(tools(as(major( corporations.(Social(media(is(equally(accessible(to(“mom(and(pop”(companies,(oneXperson( firms,(and(huge(organizations.”!!(Martin,!2010)!

!

communicate!through!the!same!accessible!platform,!not!everybody!does.!Many!

executives!still!don´t!include!it!in!their!marketing!strategy.!(Kietzmann,!Hermkens,!McCarthy,!&!Silvestre,!2011)!(Wilson,!Guinan,!Parise,!&!Weinberg,!2011)!

!

Therefore,!studying!the!subject!of!social!media!and!the!adoption!of!social!media!

marketing!as!a!business!strategy!would!be!exciting.!Especially!since!that!there!have!been!done!several!studies!about!social!media!from!the!users!perspective,!but!few!

studies!about!eVmarketing!from!a!small!business!perspective!and!that!investigate!the!adoption!among!small!businesses!(ElVGohary,!2012).!!

!

Research!question!

The!main!purpose!of!the!thesis!is!to!explore!factors!that!determine!the!adoption!of!social!media!as!part!of!a!marketing!strategy!in!small/medium!sized!businesses.!More!specific;!

!

“What!factors!influences!adoption!of!social!media!marketing!with!Facebook!among!Norwegian!health!clubs?”!

!

Clarification!!

There!are!an!“ecology”!of!social!media!sites!with!different!functionality!and!terms!of!opportunity.(Kietzmann!et!al.,!2011)!According!to!Andreas!Kaplan,!there!seems!to!be!confusion!among!managers!and!academic!researchers!as!to!what!include!in!the!term!social!media,!(Kaplan!&!Haenlein,!2010)!and!by!examine!Wikipedia’s!list!of!major!social!networking!sites,!you!will!realize!the!magnitude!of!the!phenomenon.!203!sites!are!listed.!Everything!from!wikis,!forums,!blogs,!sharing,!video,!music,!dating,!networking!and!review!sites!for!any!gender,!age!demographic,!product!or!industry!that!could!be!

considered!as!a!social!media!platforms.!(Wikipedia,!2014)!!

!

Even!if!it!could!be!interesting!to!get!a!short!description!of!the!current!most!important!and!influential!social!media!platforms,!this!research!will!only!be!focusing!on!one!social!media!platform.!Consequently!will!this!research!be!limited!only!to!include!Facebook.!This!restraint!is!two!folded:!!

First:!Amount!of!users,!according!to!a!recent!report!about!Social!Media:!“(Despite(recent( growth(by(services(such(as(Pinterest(and(Instagram,(Facebook(remains(the(dominant(social( networking(platform and(is(popular(across(a(diverse(mix(of(demographics(groups”((Aaron!

Smith,!2014)!That!means!Facebook!is!still!the!leading!platform!when!it!comes!to!users.!!

!

Second:!Marketing!infrastructure,!“We(got(two(major(highways(online,(that(is(Google(and( Facebook,(not(search(and(social(media.”!(Jerijervi,!2014)Facebook!offers!advanced!

marketing!tools!that!are!fast!and!simple!to!use,!even!for!managers!with!lack!of!technical!skills.!Making!it!a!viable!tool!for!local!and!B2C!businesses,(Siemasko,!2014)!which!is!in!focus!of!this!study.!!!

Overview!of!study!

The!research!question!is!addressed!through!an!investigation!of!research!done!about!virtual!communities,!social!networking!sites,!online!forums,!etc.!first!to!lay!the!

foundation!about!social!media.!Then!we!map!out!the!marketing!and!communication!opportunities!of!social!media,!and!link!it!to!Facebook’s!marketing!tools.!!There!is!also!given!a!presentation!of!research!that!look!into!the!attitudes!and!challenges!of!marketing!with!and!in!the!medium.!!!

!

It!is!conducted!a!literature!review!of!technology!adoption!and!acceptance!factors!that!is!summarized!and!presented!before!revealing!the!research!model.!The!research!model!is!then!tested!empirically.!A!quantitative!research!method!is!explained,!before!showing,!explaining!and!discussing!the!results.!The!conclusion!is!given!together!with!a!conceptual!framework!before!we!present!the!limitations!and!implications!of!the!thesis.!

This(chapter(will(provide(an(introduction(of(social(media,(an(explanation(of(social(media( marketing(and(how(it(relates(to(Facebook´s(business(applications(and(marketing(tools.(It( also(includes(an(overview(of(three(important(challenges(of(social(media(marketing.(

!

Social!Media!

According!to!Kozinets,!“Electronic!tribes”!was!already!being!recognized!in!the!1970s,!and!by!late!90s!marketers!and!business!strategists!could!see!substantial!importance!of!the!strategic!implications.!(Kozinets,!1999)!Different!terms!have!been!used!to!describe!the!genera!of!social!media.!Porter!argues!that!there!is!no!single,!widely!supported!

typology,!(Porter,!2004)!Andreas!Kaplan!makes!us!aware!of!the!confusion!around!the!term,!in!both!academia!and!among!managers.!Overall!it!seems!that!social!media!is!

defined!as!media!for!social!interaction,!using!highly!accessible!and!scalable!

communication!techniques.!(Bhanot,!2012;!Cohen,!2011)!!

!

Oxford!Dictionary!defines!social!media!as!websites!and!applications!that!enables!users!to!create!and!share!content!or!to!participate!in!social!networking.!(Dictionaries,!2014)!Mangold,!emphases!the!understanding!of!that!it!is!“userVgenerated!communication”!aspect.!(Mangold!&!Faulds,!2009)!Kietzmann!mentions!the!importance!of!mobile!and!webVbased!technology!that!lays!the!foundation!for!individuals!and!communities!to!share!and!create!content!rapidly.!Before!he!describes!the!seven!building!blocks!of!social!

!

• Relationship!represents!the!way!it!is!possible!for!users!to!relate!with!one!another.!!

It!is!the!association!that!could!start!a!conversation,!share!content!or!just!list!each!other!as!friends.!

• Reputation(is!the!function!that!makes!it!possible!to!determine!the!social!status!of!

themselves!and!others.!Different!sites!have!different!measurement!and!tools!to!do!this.!Examples!are:!Micro!blogging!site,!Twitter,!shows!a!users!amount!of!followers.!(Bulearca!&!Bulearca,!2010)!Facebook!count!“likes”,(Facebook,!2012e)!and!YouTube!shows!“view!counts”!(Bhanot,!2012).!

• Groups!are!the!last!building!block!of!the!honeycomb!framework.!!This!function!

lets!users!interact!and!establish!subVcommunities!within!the!particular!site.!Groups!are!created!for!more!private!communication!among!certain!members,!and!exclude!others!for!various!reasons.!

Facebook!–!A!prototypical!social!media!site!

Facebook!is!a!social!media!site!that!was!founded!in!2004!by!Mark!Zuckerberg,!Eduardo!Saverin,!Dustin!Moskovitz!and!Chris!Hughes.!It!is!designed!to!help!people!stay!in!touch!with!each!other,!produce!and!consume!content!and!connect!with!things!they!like.!

(Facebook,!2012b)!

!

Facebook!is!the!most!popular!social!network,!one!of!the!most!visited!in!the!world,!(Funk,!2011)!and!considered!to!be!a!prototypical!social!medium.!(Chunsik,!Jarvinen,!&!

Sutherland,!2011)!It!is!considered!a!potential!marketing!tool!because!of!all!of!its!active!users.!According!to!Facebook!own!statistics!on!any!given!day,!50%!of!Facebook!845!million!users!check!their!Facebook!accounts(Facebook,!2012b;!Skellie,!2011).!!

Remarkable!71%!of!online!adults!in!the!US!have!profile!and!uses!Facebook.!!By!

demographic,!it!also!got!45%!of!Internet!users!that!are!at!the!age!65!or!older.!(Aaron!Smith,!2014)!

!

Note:!There!will!be!more!evidence!of!Facebook’s!marketing!opportunities!in!the!

following!section.!

(“Social(media(offers(tantalizing(new(possibilities(for(getting(customers(attention(in(ways( that(are(strikingly(different(from(search(and(display(ads,(the(two(dominant(forms(of(online( advertising.”(Hof,(2011)(

(

Electronic!marketing!varies!according!to!each!researcher´s!point!of!view,!background!and!specialization.!(ElVGohary,!2012)!The!perspective!of!the!term!“social!media!

marketing”!in!this!research!is!seen!as!a!unifying!term!for!Relationship!marketing!and!electronic!Word!of!Mouth!(eWOM),!and!extension!on!the!terms!“Internet!marketing,!eVmarketing!and!eVcommerce,”!which!has!been!difficult!to!label,!used!interchangeably!and!synonymously!in!academia.!(Daniel!&!Wilson,!2002;!Gilmore,!Gallagher,!&!Henry,!2007)!

(

Social!Media!Marketing!(SMM)!can!simply!be!explained!as!using!social!media!platforms!to!promote!your!company!and!its!products.!(Akar!&!Topçu,!2011;!Barefoot!&!Szabo,!2009),!and!where!marketers!can!use!channels!to!gain!exposure!to!entirely!new!

!

So!as!with!the!understanding!of!social!media!platforms,!one!needs!to!understand!the!dynamic!and!method!of!marketing!in!social!media!needs!to!be!different!from!an!

advertisement!in!traditional!media!to!work.!(Cohen,!2011)!!

!

Different!terms!are!used!to!explain!the!use!of!marketing!communication!through!

electronic!data!and!the!diverse!application!of!Internet.!Broad!terms!like!“Internet!

marketing,!eVmarketing,!eVcommerce!and!eVbusiness”!have!been!used!to!classify!it,!and!researchers!have!seemed!to!agree!that!definition!is!affected!by!researcher.(ElVGohary,!2012)!!

!

Since!the!introduction!of!social!media!sites!the!growth!has!been!rapid!and!dramatic,!changing!the!purpose!and!functionality!of!the!Internet.!(Vogt,!2008)!The!opportunity!to!reach!consumers!directly!and!in!personal!and!social!environment!has!made!marketers!eager!to!advertise!in!the!new!medium.!(Boyd,!2007)!!

!

The!Internet!was!early!recognized!as!the!most!significant!direct!marketing!channel!for!the!global!marketplace.!Commercial!content!could!be!delivered!by!for!video,!print!and!audio!(Ducoffe,!1996).!It!becomes!a!popular!advertising!platform!because!marketers!found!that!the!Internet!possess!greater!flexibility!and!control!over!the!advertising!

materials,!interaction!and!costs.!(Chan!&!Li,!2010;!Faber,!Lee,!&!Nan,!2004)!Online!

marketers!can!deliver!content!via!any!channels,!in!any!form,!and!provide!information!at!any!degree.!(Ann,!Sharon,!&!Alaina,!1999)!

Facebook!Ads!–!Facebook´s!paid!communication!and!advertising!tool!

“Facebook(is(the(elephant(in(the(social(media(marketing(living(room.(The(site(is(enormous( and(daunting,(and(everybody(is(still(figuring(out(the(best(ways(to(market(within(it.(“p172!

(Barefoot!&!Szabo,!2009)!

!

Facebook!main!revenue!stream!is!through!advertising!by!getting!businesses!to!spend!money!to!reach!users!inside!Facebook.(Hof,!2011)!This!is!done!through!their!advertising!tool,!called!Facebook!Ads.!Facebook!Ads!are!Facebook’s!paid!communication!tool!for!businesses!that!use!the!site.!Ads!are!messages!written!and!published!by!businesses!themselves,!and!are!recognized!by!stating!the!company!name,!messages,!visual!assets!(photo,!video!etc.),!which!people!are!engaged!and!comments.!(Center,!2014f;!Facebook,!2014a)It!is!an!extension!of!the!free!communication!alternatives,!but!it!is!not!limited!to!

!

The!difference!between!Facebook´s!free!and!paid!alternative!is!through!the!potential!reach!of!users.!While!Facebook!Page!posts!are!limited!to!organic!reach!and!quality!of!content,(Facebook,!2011)!are!Facebook!Ads!more!similar!to!the!more!established!online!advertisement,!display!ads.!The!ad!cost!varies!depending!on!several!factors;!competition!and!content!quality!are!main!determinants,!but!in!the!end!price!is!set!in!an!auction!for!target!market.!Businesses!can!pay!to!reach!a!larger!audience!than!with!people!that!have!liked!their!page,!and!despite!content!quality.!(Facebook,!2014a;!Marrs,!2014)!

!

Businesses!have!multiple!ways!of!using!Facebook!Ads.!There!are!page!post!video!ad,!page!post!text!ad,!page!post!photo!ad,!page!like!ad,!offer!ad,!mobile!app!ad,!event!ad,!domain!ad,!and!desktop!app!ad.!(Center,!2014a,!2014b,!2014c,!2014d;!Facebook,!2014b,!2014c,!2014d,!2014e,!2014f;!Huber,!Mulazzani,!Kitzler,!Goluch,!&!Weippl)!

!

The!two!main!categories!are!“Sponsored!Stories”!and!“Placements”.!Sponsored!stories!are!about!communication!among!users!that!evolves!around!a!business,!and!promoting!those!stories!so!that!more!people!can!see!it.!Placements!are!about!ads!and!sponsored!stories!that!appear!in!different!places!on!Facebook.!These!places!could!be!the!main!Facebook!News!Feed,!mobile!News!Feed!or!the!right!ad!column!inside!Facebook.!

(Facebook,!2014a)!!

!

Note:!Facebook!now!also!offers!“Premium!ads”,!but!these!are!not!available!for!selfV

service.!Currently,!businesses!need!to!speak!with!a!Facebook!representative!to!order!these!types!of!Placements.!(Center,!2014e)!

SMM!K!a!relationship!marketing!tool!

The!technical!infrastructure!and!interactivity!possibility!of!social!media!platforms,!combined!with!a!business!service!mindVset!makes!it!a!tool!to!build!customer!bonding.!

(Szmigin,!Canning,!&!Reppel,!2005)(

!

Relationship!marketing!comes!to!full!bloom!when!talking!about!social!media.!The!

communication!style!is!forced!from!informational!to!relational!(Virtual!Communities).!

!

“Social(media(is(today´s(most(transparent,(engaging(and(interactive(form(of(public(

relations.(It(combines(the(true(grit(of(real(time(content(with(the(beauty(of(authentic(perXtoX peer(communication.(“(Lisa(Buyer.((Cohen,(2011)(

(

Central!feature!of!relationship!marketing!is!communication!with!customers.!Involving!consumers!in!marketing!dialogues!is!an!attempt!to!achieve!brand!connection!and!

loyalty.!(Andersen,!2005)!The!interactivity!enables!to!translate!good!marketing!into!good!conversations,!by!establishing!a!more!“human!face”!to!the!marketplace!without!losing!the!scale!of!economics!of!mass!marketing.!(Chan!&!Li,!2010)!!

!

Researchers!recognized!four!ways!companies!organized!online!community!to!not!only!serve!their!own!purpose,!but!also!build!relationships.!!

• The!Defence(organization(that!is!vendor!focused,!with!available!information,!but!

little!opportunity!to!interact.!(Szmigin!et!al.,!2005)!

The!marketing!approach!will!change!when!building!social!connections.!Connections!based!on!relationships,!rapport!and!trust!between!the!organization!and!consumers,!can!cause!improved!attitude!towards!company!brand.!(GilVOr,!2010)!

Facebook!Pages!–!A!free!“Relationship!marketing!tool”!for!companies!

“Facebook(has(put(significant(effort(into(creating(a(platform(that(individuals,(businesses( and(organizations(can(use(to(promote(themselves.(These(are(Facebook(Pages.”!(Skellie,!

2011)!

!

Having!followers!and!building!a!relationship!with!them!is!of!major!importance,!because!businesses!need!them!more!than!the!opposite!way!around.!(Qualman,!2011)!

Facebook!Pages!is!the!tool!that!allows!businesses,!organizations,!artists,!celebrities!or!brands!to!build!connections,!share!content,!and!enables!direct!communication!with!interested!users.!(Facebook,!2012c)!

!

Facebook!Pages!was!introduced!in!2008,!and!was!built!to!allow!official!representatives!of!businesses!to!communicate!broadly!with!users!that!like!them.!The!connection!is!made!when!Facebook!users!“Like”!a!business!Facebook!Page.!(Facebook,!2012a)!

Businesses!can!use!this!as!a!tool!to!connect!with!people!that!use!Facebook,!by!building!customized!Pages!that!could!include!apps,!event!hosting!and!posting!different!types!of!content.!!

!

Facebook!Pages!have!functions!that!are!preVdesigned!and!installed!making!businesses!able!to!interact!with!an!unlimited!amount!of!fans!that!like!the!Page.!A!Page!will!appear!for!all!users!if!they!search!for!it!inside!of!Facebook!or!try!to!find!it!in!Facebook!Page!Directory.!Pages!will!also!appear!in!an!information!tab!on!the!users!profile!for!users!that!likes!a!particular!Page.!

!

With!Facebook!Pages!a!business!can!express!their!identity,!reach!a!broad!audience,!and!the!ability!to!respond!quickly!and!personal!to!users.!(Facebook,!2012c)!

!

Even!though!they!look!similar,!there!are!a!difference!between!Facebook!Pages!and!Profile!Timelines.!Profiles!are!made!and!controlled!by!private!individuals!and!are!

recognized!by!the!Facebook!users!personal!name.!Pages!are!made!for!and!recognized!as!organizations,!businesses,!brands!or!celebrities!to!have!a!professional!presence!on!Facebook.!(Facebook,!2012a)!

SMM!K!electronic!Word!of!Mouth!marketing!tool!(eWOM)!

Word!of!Mouth!is!the!ageless!phenomenon!of!transferring!information!from!one!

individual!to!the!next.!Marketing!messages!delivered!in!this!way!is!considered!more!credible,!because!it!comes!from!a!friend!or!trusted!advisor!that!receives!no!financial!benefits!for!passing!the!information.!(GilVOr,!2011)!!!

!

Electronic!Word!of!Mouth!(eWOM)!communications!can!take!place!in!various!ways,!exist!in!several!formats!and!different!terms!have!been!used!to!describe!it.!Electronic!Word!of!Mouth,!Buzz!marketing!or!Viral!marketing!is!about!getting!a!commercial!message!spread!organically!by!the!viewers!to!friends!and!family,!which!is!by!some!considered!as!of!the!

“holy!grail”!of!digital!marketing.!(GilVOr,!2011;!Teixeira,!2012)!!

!

The!ability!of!electronic!Word!of!Mouth!communication!on!social!media!platforms!is!transferring!power!to!the!individual!consumer.!The!message!of!one!person!can!now!be!heard!by!far!many!people!by!the!leverage!of!technology.!If!the!message!takes!on,!it!will!most!likely!create!a!multiplying!effect!for!both!positive!and!negative!messages.!(Carlsen,!2009;!Røren,!2009)!!

!

Even!though,!it!is!hard!for!marketers!to!control!the!message,!the!eWOM!marketing!has!become!increasingly!popular!with!the!prosperous!use!of!social!networking!platforms.!Interaction!and!spreading!messages!through!social!media!has!become!the!facto!

communication!standard!among!friends!on!most!electronic!devices.!!(GilVOr,!

2011)Powered!by!cheap!and!easy!communication!techniques,!a!message!about!a!

product,!service!or!company!can!be!spread!fast.!(Dobele,!Toleman,!&!Beverland,!2005)!

“Twitter´s!currency!is!made!up!of!followers!and!retweets.!On!Reddit,!it!is!upvotes.!For!Facebook!Pages,!it!is!Likes”.!(Skellie,!2011)!

!

The!“Like”!button!was!introduced!on!Facebook!in!February!2009,!enabling!people!to!connect!with!things!they!care!about!both!on!and!off!Facebook.!(Facebook,!2012d)!

It!is!the!feature!that!is!used!to!give!positive!feedback!by!people!to!things!they!enjoy!or!care!about!on!Facebook!or!Facebook!integrated!websites!or!applications.!!

!

There!are!three!main!things!that!users!are!able!to!“Like”.!This!is!a!Facebook!Page,!status!updates,!and!published!content.!!The!most!important!“Like”!is!the!one!when!a!user!Like!a!Facebook!Page,!because!this!means!that!they!are!now!subscribed!to!all!future!content!distributed.!(Skellie,!2011)!This!is!similar!to!people!connecting!with!each!other!through!

Friend!Requests.!“Just(as(you(have(Facebook(friends(associated(with(your(profile,(your( page(has(fans(”p181!“!(Barefoot!&!Szabo,!2009)!

!

Page!Likes!are!important!because!those!enable!a!business!to!get!a!future!feedback!from!work!put!into!Facebook!today.!(Skellie,!2011)!This!means!that!a!business!should!try!get!as!many!active!users!as!possible.!An!active!user!is!a!person!that!have!engaged,!viewed!or!consumed!content!from!your!Facebook!Page.!(Facebook,!2012f)!

!

The!Like!button!is!created!to!give!an!easy!way!for!users!to!let!someone!know!that!he!or!she!enjoy!a!friends!post,!or!want!to!connect!with!a!business!through!his!or!her!Facebook!Page.!!

!

The!connection!is!made!when!users!click!the!Like!button!on!a!Facebook!Page,!posted!content!or!an!advertisement!on!Facebook.!Facebook!will!display!this!connection!on!the!users!profile!wall.!It!can!be!displayed!in!the!users!profile!news!feed;!on!the!Page!they!connected!to,!or!in!an!advertisement!for!that!Page!on!Facebook.!

!

This!connection!allows!a!Facebook!Page!to!post!content!on!a!users!profile!news!feed!or!send!them!messages.!The!connection!could!also!be!used!in!integration!with!applications!that!are!made!compatible!with!Facebook.!(Facebook,!2012e)!

When!Liking!a!Page!means!that!a!Facebook!users!is!making!a!connection!with!that!

particular!Page,!and!will!receive!information!and!content!on!their!News!Feed!that!will!be!posted!in!the!future.!This!is!what!Facebook!used!to!call!“become!a!fan”.!While!Liking!a!specific!post!simply!means!that!the!user!enjoy!that!particular!post!without!having!to!leave!a!written!comment.!!Users!are!able!to!Like!a!friend´s!post!or!a!Page!

post.(Facebook,!2012e)!

!

Three!business!challenges!to!Social!Media!Marketing!

The!marketing!value!of!succeeding!with!social!media!is!difficult!to!calculate.(Desmond,!2010)!However,!comparing!the!delivering!costs!of!traditional!advertising!makes!it!easier!to!understand!the!importance!of!having!social!media!strategy.!!(Jerijervi,!2014)!

(HarridgeVMarch,!2004)!

!

The!price!to!pay!for!a!social!media!strategy!does!not!only!include!delivery!the!cost:!Arguments!about!time!and!resources!should!not!be!forgotten.!The!cost!of!having!a!social!media!strategy!must!include!time!spent!on!planning,!producing!and!participating.!

(Bulearca!&!Bulearca,!2010)!!!

!

According!to!Webtrends,!that!evaluated!more!than!11!thousand!ads!on!Facebook,!came!to!the!conclusion!that!communication!that!was!forced!upon!users!had!a!short!lifespan.!Paid!social!advertisement!only!got!three!to!five!days!before!they!are!offer!to!ad!

blindness.(Webtrends,!2011)!Constant!surveillance!and!some!change!in!ad!are!required!to!keep!it!alive!and!to!make!money.(Jerijervi,!2014)!!

!

Social!media!marketing!may!raise!a!business!visibility!to!clients,!prospects!and!even!traditional!media.!It!provides!an!opportunity!to!stay!more!frequently!in!touch!with!customers,!and!introduce!new!prospects!to!a!business!sales!funnel.!(Martin,!2010)!However,!Funk!argues!that!Social!media!marketing!is!an!oxymoron!because!businesses!should!only!be!present!for!customer!service!and!not!advertising.(Funk,!2011)!

!

2 !“Push!or!Pull!marketing”!in!social!media!

A!discussion!about!social!media!marketing!is!also!revolving!around!the!concept!“Push!or!

Pull!marketing”.(Push(is(representing!marketing!in!the!traditional!way!which!the!

advertising!activities!revolve!around!oneVway!communication!of!a!message!through!mass!media.(Schultz,!2006)!!This!represents!a!concern,!because!building!consumer!demand!with!this!approach;!pushing!advertisement!and!mass!marketing!messages!is!disregarding!the!main!assets!of!a!social!media!platform.!(GilVOr,!2010)!!

!

The!shift!from!push!to!pull(marketing!is!argued!to!be!inevitable.!Consumers!are!avoiding!

messages!and!interruptive!communication!from!organizations!that!they!do!not!want!to!build!a!relationship!with.!(Schultz,!2006)!This!might!explain!that!43%!of!social!

networkers!user!never!clicked!on!ads.!(Zeng,!Huang,!&!Dou,!2009)!

3 Advertising!Avoidance!in!Online!Social!Networking!Environment!

Customers!actively!avoid!looking!at!online!ads.!(Xavier!Dréze,!2003)!Ever!increasing!amount!of!commercial!messages!that!bombards!consumers!in!all!media!causes!the!wellVknown!problem!for!marketers,!advertising!avoidance.(Speck!&!Elliott,!1997)!!

!

Commercial!messages!in!social!media!make!it!more!difficult!to!distinguish!between!what!is!advertisement!and!what!is!a!conversation.!This!might!cause!users!to!question!the!credibility!of!the!messages!that!are!communicated.!According!to!Moore,!the!concept!of!credibility!s!one!of!the!most!important!components!of!a!persuasive!message.!(J.!J.!Moore!

&!Rodgers,!2005)!Nutley!says!that!Social!networking!sites!need!to!be!constantly!

balancing!between!advertising!revenue,!and!users!demand!for!uninterrupted!social!experiences.!(Nutley,!2007)!!

!

Advertising!avoidance!in!an!online!environment,!and!especially!in!the!social!media!sphere!is!not!a!wellVresearched!topic.!Kelly!et!al,!developed!a!model!for!advertising!avoidance!on!social!media!platforms,!where!they!found!four!influencing!factors.!These!

are!Expectation(of(Negative(Experience,!Relevance(of(Advertising(Message,!Scepticism( About!the(Advertising(message,!and!Scepticism(About(Online(Social(Networking(as(an( Advertising(Medium.((

(

Figur.5.Model.of.Advertising.Avoidance.in.the.Online.Social.Networking.Environment.

The!implications!of!the!model!reveal!a!better!understanding!of!why!advertising!in!social!networking!environment!is!not!as!successful!as!some!anticipated.!The!factors!show!that!advertising!messages!in!those!channels!might!not!be!well!received.!If!they!do!not!

capture!the!interest!to!the!receiver,!it!might!as!well!be!ignored.!If!message!do!not!match!the!media!environment,!it!is!most!likely!disregarded.!(Kelly!et!al.,!2010)!!

!

This(chapter(is(intended(to(give(an(overview(of(past(research(done(about(technology(

adoption(and(acceptance(factors(that(could(be(relevant(to(the(thesis.(This(includes(

classification(of(adopters,(Davis´s(Technology(Acceptance(Model(and(four(conceptual( constructs(that(are(synthesized(from(the(various(findings(in(the(literature(review.((A(

!

The!theoretical!foundation!in!this!research!was!inspired!by!previous!work!done!to!understand!the!use!of!new!innovative!technology!in!business.!Though!technology!

acceptance!depends!on!different!factors!and!varies!based!on!industries!and!situation,!the!Technology!Acceptance!Model!by!Davis!and!Diffusion!of!Innovation!model!

popularized!by!Rogers,!stood!out!as!a!great!starting!point!for!a!literature!review.!

!

Geoffrey!Moore´s!book:!“Crossing!the!Chasm”!has!helped!with!the!importance!of!

understanding!the!diffusion!of!innovation!process!for!technology!companies,!where!practical!advice!is!given!to!tackle!the!challenging!adoption!lifecycle.!(G.!A.!Moore,!2002)!The!categorization!of!the!ideal!characteristics!of!each!part!of!the!adoption!life!cycle!will!be!used!for!the!classification!of!managers.!

!

The!Technology!Acceptance!Model!is!often!used!to!examine!adoption!of!technology!in!small!and!medium!sized!firms.!According!to!Parker!and!Castleman!there!has!been!

extensive!research!to!explore!factors!(barriers!and!drivers)!that!influence!SME!ownerVmanagers!adoption!decisions!of!electronic!business,!(Parker!&!Castleman,!2009)!but!by!!reviewing!the!literature!it!was!not!detected!any!studies!that!have!applied!the!

Technology!Acceptance!Model!to!the!field!of!Social!Media!Marketing!specifically.!This!lack!of!research!was!also!noticed!in!the!field!of!EVmarketing!in!general.!The!need!to!conduct!more!research!to!investigate!the!model!to!EVmarketing!was!recognized!by!ElV

Classification!of!Adopters!

Technology!Adoption!Life!Cycle!!

The!wellVestablished!categorization!of!adopters!comes!from!Rogers!work!with!the!

Diffusion!of!Innovation!model.!Adoption!of!innovation!does!not!happen!at!the!same!time!among!all!members!of!society.!Therefore,!he!developed!an!efficient!and!convenient!standardization!model!for!categorizing!different!types!of!adopters!based!on!a!sequence!of!time.!(Rogers,!2003)!This!has!made!it!possible!to!divide!adopters!into!five!groups!depending!on!where!they!are!in!the!innovation!adoption!lifecycle.!These!users!are!

!

This!categorization!help!to!understand!why!there!are!different!attitudes!among!

members!of!society!when!it!comes!to!adoption!of!new!ideas.!This!is!so!because!there!are!

• Early(Adopters!are!respected!individuals!with!the!highest!degree!of!opinion!

leadership!in!a!social!system.!They!are!often!looked!upon!for!advice!and!

information!about!an!innovation,!and!when!they!do!decide!to!adopt!a!new!idea!it!is!a!sign!of!approval!of!it.!!

• Early(Majority!adopts!new!ideas!earlier!than!the!average!member!of!society,!but!

they!spent!time!deliberating!before!adopting!it.!They!interact!with!peers,!but!they!are!not!in!an!opinion!leader!position.!These!are!the!important!users!for!crossing!the!chasm!between!what!Moore!identifies!as!success!or!failure!for!real!

commercial!potential.!Illustrated!as!a!gap!in!the!figure!above.!(G.!A.!Moore,!2002)!!

• Late(Majority!is!more!sceptical!individual!of!a!social!system.!They!are!those!who!

adopt!new!ideas!slightly!after!the!average!person.!Pressure!from!other!members,!trends!in!society!or!economic!necessity!cause!adoption.!They!are!not!easily!

convinced!if!innovation!is!not!of!great!advantage.!

• Laggards!are!considered!to!be!traditional!in!their!thinking.!They!are!sceptical!

towards!technology!and!those!promote!them.!Their!resistance!to!new!ideas!seems!to!them!to!be!rational.!Were!they!must!be!sure!that!the!technology!doesn´t!fail!before!adopting.!They!surround!themselves!with!similar!minded!people,!but!have!almost!no!opinion!leadership.!!

Leadership!Typologies!for!Technology!Adoption!

!

In!an!article!built!upon!the!Diffusion!of!Innovation!theory!and!Technology!Acceptance!Model,!A.J!Spencer!et.!al!(Spencer,!Buhalis,!&!Moital,!2012)developed!a!new!model!that!illustrates!new!leadership!typologies!at!each!level!of!technology!adoption!for!small!and!medium!sized!businesses.!They!view!the!role!of!personal!factors!such!as!ownership!and!leadership!is!part!of!the!key!drivers!for!technology!adoption.!These!businesses!had!

!

The!organization!of!a!small!size!firm!is!often!structured!with!low!levels!of!hierarchy!and!has!less!bureaucracy.!Leaders!of!small!firms!are!the!owners!themselves,!making!their!personal!attitudes!initiators!or!barriers!to!technology.!!With!the!identification!of!

leadership!and!attitudes!of!management!as!being!a!key!factor!of!technology!adoption!in!firms!(Spencer!et!al.,!2012;!Wöber!&!Gretzel,!2000)!,!a!classification!done!on!this!level!is!important!to!this!thesis!because!the!subjects!for!the!analysis!will!most!likely!be!the!owner!as!well!as!the!managers!of!the!business.!The!leadership!typologies!are!identified!

• Resistors!are!leaders!that!are!the!least!likely!to!issue!change!in!firm’s!technology!

capabilities.!They!are!more!into!maintaining!their!traditional!ways,!and!sees!themselves!as!lowVrisk!takers.!They!have!got!low!technology!knowledge,!and!use!only!computers!for!basic!functions!and!tries!to!maintain!this!position.!!

• Enforcers!are!similar!to!Resistors!in!many!ways,!and!are!only!willing!to!change!

their!ways!if!new!technology!is!considered!to!develop!new!procedures!and!give!a!complete!change!to!the!industry.!

• Stabilizers(are!leaders!that!consider!themselves!to!be!mediumVrisk!takers.!The!

individual!passively!adjust!technology!based!on!the!organizations!problems!or!opportunities,!with!help!from!others.!After!incidents!have!passed,!they!return!to!business!as!normal!before!the!situation!occurred.!

• Reactors!are!those!leaders!categorized!as!mediumVrisk!takers!that!more!open!to!

ideas!of!change.!The!typical!person!is!not!resistant!to!new!innovations,!but!is!usually!behind!in!the!application!of!technology.!

• Converters!are!the!type!of!leader!who!is!considered!to!be!a!very!active!change!

agent.!The!typical!leader!has!a!longVterm!vision!for!the!business,!consider!as!a!highVrisk!taker!with!technology!experience!and!high!education.!!

!

TAM!–!Technology!Acceptance!Model!

Several!studies!have!indicated!that!the!Technology!Acceptance!Model!factors!are!good!predictors!for!explaining!the!use!of!technology.!!Researchers!showed!that!the!

Technology!Acceptance!Model!(TAM)!is!indeed!valid,!robust!and!predictive!model!that!could!be!used!in!a!variety!of!contexts.!Researchers!results!have!proven!TAM!to!be!

consistent!over!the!years!since!it!was!proposed.!(King!&!He,!2006;!Legris,!Ingham,!&!Collerette,!2003;!Schepers!&!Wetzels,!2007)!!

!

Davis!proposed!the!Technology!Acceptance!Model!in!1989.!!The!purpose!his!research!was!to!pursue!better!measures!for!predicting!and!explaining!use!of!Information!

Technology.(Davis,!1989)!It!was!developed!to!evaluate!the!market!potential!for!

emerging!technology!from!IBM!Canada!and!their!multiVmedia!PCVapplications.(Davis!&!Venkatesh,!1996)!He!based!the!theory!on!an!existing!model!called!the!Theory!of!

Reasoned!Action!(TRA)!that!were!developed!by!Ajzen!and!Fishbein(Lederer,!Maupin,!

!!

Davis!investigated!and!validated!two!theoretical!constructs,!Perceived(Usefulness(and( Perceived(Ease(of(Use.(He(defines(Perceived(Usefulness!as!“the(degree(to(which(a(person( believes(that(using(a(particular(system(would(enhance(his(or(her(job(performance”.!

Perceived(ease(of(use(he!refers!to!“the(degree(to(which(a(person(believes(that(using(a( particular(system(would(be(free(of(effort”.(Davis,!1989)!It!is!suggested!that!they!are!the!

two!most!important!factors!in!explaining!system!use.(Legris!et!al.,!2003)!

!

These!main!factors!of!TAM!are!predictors!of!an!individual´s!attitude!towards!use!and!intensions!to!adopt!technology.!This!individualistic!approach!is!aimed!to!predict!

behaviour!intentions!of!people.!It!has!been!applied!in!small!firm!eVbusiness!adoption!research!because!the!ownerVmanagers!are!assumed!to!be!the!primary!decision!makers,!and!thus!the!most!important!element!of!adoption.!(Parker!&!Castleman,!2009)!

!

An!important!purpose!of!the!theory!is!to!provide!a!basis!for!tracking!the!impact!of!

external!variables!on!internal!beliefs,!attitudes!and!intentions!for!technology!usage.!The!model!shows!that!perceived!ease!of!use!has!a!direct!effect!on!perceived!usefulness!and!both!determine!the!users!attitude!toward!use.!This!will!again!lead!to!behavioural!

intention!to!use!the!system!and!finally!to!actual!usage.!This!is!illustrated!in!the!original!

Technology!Acceptance!Model,!that!consists!of!the!components:!!External(Variables,! Perceived(Usefulness,(Perceived(Ease(of(Use,(Attitude(Towards,(Behavioural(Intention(and( Usage.((Legris(et(al.,(2003)((!

(

!

Figur.8.The.original.Technology.Acceptance.Model.illustrated.by.Davis.(1989).

!

TAM!has!proven!to!be!a!theoretical!model!that!helps!to!understand!and!explain!use!behaviour!when!implementing!technology.!It!has!been!one!of!the!most!commonly!used!models!to!explain!usage!in!Information!Systems,!due!to!the!simplicity!and!its!

understandability.!Nevertheless,!the!model!has!evolved!over!time!to!try!to!explain!

imperfections!of!the!original!model.!(King!&!He,!2006;!Legris!et!al.,!2003)!

!

Findings!about!the!effects!of!the!factors!have!not!always!been!significant.!(Lederer!et!al.,!2000)!This!has!led!to!expansion!of!the!original!model!has!to!TAM2,!TAM3!and!Unified!Theory!of!Acceptance!and!Use!of!Technology!(UTAUT).!(ElVGohary,!2012)!These!theories!include!several!other!validated!technology!acceptance!factors,!such!as!subjective!

!

Conceptual!Clustering!of!Adoption!Factors!

For!the!literature!review!it!was!found!several!studies!about!factors!for!technology!

acceptance!in!SMEs!other!than!the!ones!constructed!in!the!Technology!Acceptance!Model.!Some!of!the!studies!were!more!focused!about!the!role!of!manager!as!owner.!There!are!a!few!articles!that!focus!on!marketing!in!social!media,!and!some!about!

consumer’s!attitudes!towards!advertisement!in!the!social!media!realm.!One!article!was!about!investigating!hoteliers’!attitudes!toward!the!use!of!social!media!as!a!branding!

small/medium!sized!businesses!towards!adopting!social!media!technology!as!part!of!a!business!or!marketing!strategy.!!

!

Even!though!it!seems!as!owner/managers!are!driven!to!adopt!technology!based!on!the!fear!of!getting!left!by!competitors!behind,!or!loosing!out!on!opportunities.!(R.!Darby,!Jones,!&!Al!Madani,!2003;!King!&!He,!2006)not!all!researchers!had!the!same!results:!When!researching!the!strategic!use!of!the!Internet!by!SMEs!in!the!Netherlands,!results!showed!that!competitive!pressure!was!not!a!influencing!factor.(Sadowski,!Maitland,!&!van!Dongen,!2002)!!

!

Note!that!the!term!“Competitive!Pressure”!is!used!as!a!unifying!construct!to!similar!

technology!acceptance/adoption!variables!such!as!pressure(from(external(environment,( industry,(customers,(competitor’s(usage(and(intensity(of(competition!(Avlonitis!&!

The!term!Competency(is!a!unifying!term!that!comes!from!clustering!several!adopting!and!

technology!acceptance!variables!from!the!literature!review!for!this!thesis.!This!means!that!the!factor!includes!variables!that!are!either!mentioned!or!found!to!be!significant!

factors!for!adoption!technology.!Competency!is!based!on!variables!such!as!information!

technology/computer:!owner!skill,!experience,!knowledge,!understanding,!selfVefficacy,!organizational!readiness!and!culture!etc.!(Ahearne,!Hughes,!&!Schillewaert,!2007;!

Avlonitis!&!Panagopoulos,!2005;!ElVGohary,!2012;!King!&!He,!2006)!!

!

Competency!at!individual!level,!Kietzmann!et!al,!found!that!managers!often!are!hesitant!or!incapable!to!structure!strategies!and!find!resources!to!participate!with!social!media.!(Kietzmann!et!al.,!2011)!!While!a!study!from!2010!found!that!several!managers!don´t!understand!it.!Social!Media!Marketing!is!a!technology!that!requires!both!understanding!for!“why!to!use!it”,!as!well!as!“how!to!use!it”.!Even!if!they!could!have!the!proper!

knowledge!why!they!should!use!it,!they!don´t!have!the!knowVhow!experience.(Kaplan!&!Haenlein,!2010)!!

!

Competency!at!organizational!level:!If!manager’s!lack!technical!skills!and/or!don´t!have!the!proper!knowledge!or!computer!selfVefficacy,(King!&!He,!2006)!they!would!have!to!depend!on!organizational!support!and!readiness.!Which!was!found!to!be!the!most!

important!determinant!factor!of!strategic!value!and!adoption!of!eVcommerce!in!a!variety!of!SMEs!by!Grandon!&!Pearson!study!from!2004.!(Grandon!&!Pearson,!2004)!

!

The!third!aggregated!construct!is!the!concept!of!“Cost”.!For!this!research!the!term!is!unifying!term!all!driving!variables!or!barriers!that!were!found!in!the!literature!review!that!has!to!do!with!“costs”!of!adopting!and!accepting!technology.!These!are!both!the!willingness!of!owner/managers!to!invest!money!to!reduce!cost!(Kaynak,!Tatoglu,!&!Kula,!2005),!and/or!the!negative!attitudes!to!accumulate!expenses!that!are!considered!

additional!costs.!(Fillis,!Johansson,!&!Wagner,!2003)!!

!!

“Costs”!include!adoption!factors!that!were!either!considered!by!researchers!as!positive!or!negative!due!to!the!financial!implications.!This!could!be!the!opportunity!to!save!money!or!reduce!expenses!elsewhere!by!implementing!technological!innovations.!

Which!were!found!to!be!perceived!benefits!by!Daniel!and!Gilmore!et.!al.!(Daniel,!2003;!Gilmore!et!al.,!2007)Or!the!negative!association!of!that!the!up!front!investments!are!to!high!and!return!on!investment!to!low,!causing!managers!to!ignore!or!avoid!it!due!to!the!financial!constraints!on!organization.!(Gilmore!et!al.,!2007;!MacGregor!&!Vrazalic,!2005)!!

!

In!Bhanot!research!from!2012!about!social!media,!there!were!found!three!main!reasons!for!why!businesses!should!use!it:!!The!“Low!cost,!highly!accessible”V!factor!were!the!most!important!as!for!why!businesses!should!considered!it!as!tool!to!reach!out!to!

!

Fillis,!found!that!the!greater!perceived!compatibility,!the!more!likely!technology!

applications!will!be!adopted!by!small!businesses.(Fillis,!Johannson,!&!Wagner,!2004)!In!a!study!from!2005!about!barriers!to!EVcommerce!adoption,!barriers!were!grouped!into!two!main!factors.!One!of!them!they!labelled!“Unsuitable”,!(MacGregor!&!Vrazalic,!

2005)which!is!synonymous!to!compatibility/!incompatible.!Kendal!et!al!support!

commerce.(Kendall,!Tung,!Chua,!Ng,!&!Tan,!2001)!The!most!significant!barrier!is!the!lack!of!perceived!relevance!for!particular!sectors.!(Michaelidou,!Siamagka,!&!Christodoulides,!2011)!

!

Different!communication!requirements!were!often!used!as!determining!factors!for!adoption!of!information!technology.!The!need!for!communication!with!customers,!give!and!receive!feedback,!provide!information!and!enhance!customer!service(Bhanot,!2012;!Daniel,!2003;!Sadowski!et!al.,!2002),!will!affect!the!situation!and!the!need!of!having!a!social!media!presence.!Other!variables!that!are!clustered!under!compatibility!term!in!this!thesis!are!variables!such!as:!a!firm’s!type!of!market/industry,!product,!customers!and!daily!work!tasks.!(Fillis!et!al.,!2004;!McFarland!&!Hamilton,!2006;!Wierenga!&!Oude!Ophuis,!1997)!

!

This(short(chapter(is(dedicated(to(present(the(”Facebook(Marketing(Adoption”(research( model(and(the(following(hypothesis.(

(

Research!Model! !

Based!on!the!theory!presented!in!this!thesis,!a!research!model!is!proposed.!Influenced!by,!first,!the!building!blocks!of!social!media!and!social!media!marketing.!Second,!

revealing!both!the!marketing!opportunities!with!Facebook!and!the!challenges!of!social!media!marketing.!And!third,!the!exploration!of!technology!acceptance/adoption!factors!in!the!literature!review.!!

!

The!research!model!consists!of!one!dependent!variable.!Four!constructed!aggregated!independent!variables!and!one!imposed!independent!variable!by!researcher.!The!

dependent!variable!is!“Adoption!of!social!media!marketing!with!Facebook!by!Norwegian!health!clubs”,!shortened!“Facebook!Marketing!Adoption”.!!The!four!aggregated!variables!

classification!of!adopters/managers.!The!reason!why!it!is!included!is!because!though!some!managers!could!find!using!social!media!as!important!part!of!their!business!

strategy,!doesn´t!mean!that!they!would!consider!it!as!something!urgent.!Making!it!a!task!that!is!not!prioritized!as!part!of!the!daily!tasks!for!themselves!or!the!organization,!

causing!it!to!be!a!procrastinated!strategy.!With!limited!resources!available,!a!business!owner/manager!is!forced!constantly!prioritize!activities!in!every!aspect!of!the!business.!This!prioritizing!necessity!may!be!an!important!factor!for!not!adopting!social!media!as!a!part!of!the!business!strategy.!!

!

The!figure!of!the!research!model!tries!to!illustrate!that!the!independent!variables!

influences!the!dependent!variable.!!!

Note:.Though!it!was!intended!to!base!the!research!model!on!the!Technology!Acceptance!

Model,!it!was!not.!Unfortunately,!the!measurement!of!Perceived!Ease!of!Use!and!

Perceived!Usefulness!was!taken!out!of!the!final!research!model.!This!was!done!based!on!the!desire!to!explore!the!aggregated!factors!and!the!fear!of!multicollinearity.!!

investigation.”(Muijs,!2010)!The!five!hypothesis!are:!

(

H1:!Perceived!Competitive!Pressure!influence!Norwegian!health!clubs!adoption!of!Social!Media!Marketing!with!Facebook.!!

!

!

H5:!Perceived!Leadership!Priorities!influence!Norwegian!health!clubs!adoption!of!Social!Media!Marketing!with!Facebook.!

mathematically(based(methods,(in(particular(statistics.”(Muijs,!2010)!While!descriptive! research!is!defined!as!“research(designed(to!describe(characteristics(of(a(population(or(a( phenomenon”.((Zikmund,!2003)!!This!means!that!we!attempt!to!better!understand!a!

particular!phenomenon,!for!a!specific!population!based!on!a!numerical!data.!!

!

Descriptive!studies!are!conducted!after!the!researcher!has!gained!knowledge!about!the!subject!that!is!being!studied.!There!was!use!a!secondary!data!analysis!in!the!beginning!of!

the!research!project.!Secondary!data!analysis!is!defined!as!“preliminary(review(of(data( collected(for(another(purpose(to(clarify(issues(in(the(early(stages(of(a(research(effort.”( (Zikmund,(2003)(This!method!were!used!in!the!first!phase!of!the!thesis!to!lay!the!

foundation!and!understanding!of!the!concept!of!social!media,!social!media!marketing!and!the!challenges!that!researchers!recognized!by!implementing!it!at!a!business!

strategy.!This!technology!description!made!it!possible!to!draw!the!linkage!to!technology!acceptance/adoption!research.!This!again!led!to!a!literature!review!table!that!was!used!to!construct!the!aggregated!variables.!!

!

In!articles!analysed!for!literature!review!the!typical!approach!was!quantitative!research!method,!crossVsectional!studies!and!that!used!LikertVscale!to!measure!items.!A!crossVsectional!study!means!that!data!is!collected!at!single!point!in!time.!LikertV!scale!is!a!techniques!used!to!measure!the!attitudes!of!the!respondents;!by!making!them!indicate!how!strongly!they!agree!or!disagree!with!carefully!constructed!statements.!(Zikmund,!2003)!